Taking Steps Towards Something Fun

ASK Recommends: Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Directed by Matt Shakman, featuring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ralph Ineson. Marvel Studios, 2025.

It is unusual for me to comment on two current films so close together on here, but it was a big Summer for comic book movies. I’d argue it’s the most consequential summer since 2011 when Captain America: The First Avenger came out in July of that year. And it seemed evident that Marvel knew this was a make-it-or-break-it scenario.

The film was promoted in a slow burn approach, with details coming out at a snail’s pace by comparison to Captain America: Brave New World (2025) and Thunderbolts* (2025). For example, it was rumored that the movie would feature Galactus and the Silver Surfer as early as 2023, but it took months for anything to be confirmed, and the images of these characters was incredibly limited until close to the release date. This could have been out of a desire to build anticipation, though I’d wager it had more to do with attempting to avoid controversy.

Julia Garner as Shalla Bal, the Silver Surfer of Earth-828

Marvel gambled in two big ways on this film, and each one could have come with significant scandal (for comic fans anyways). The first and most obvious risk was choosing to have Shalla Bal portray the Surfer rather than have a male actor play Norrin Radd. Since Radd, played by Lawrence Fishburne and Doug Jones, was arguably the only good part of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), there was a lot riding on the successful execution of this character in the film. By going with an alternate version, they avoid the pitfalls of comparison but also gambled that fans would be receptive to the changes. From what I saw of reviews, it was a decidedly mixed response. I was expecting Garner’s version to be a big letdown, and while I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’m a “fan” of this iteration, the truth is that the director did pull it off.

The second big gamble was tied to the first, namely, the presence of Galactus. The 2007 FF film had no idea what to do with this character and literally left him behind a smokescreen. It was the worst feature of that film, so given how risk adverse comic movies have become, I was surprised to see them go in this direction. But they did. And quite frankly, Galactus (plus the connections between himself and Franklin Richards) worked. Even if you aren’t a big comic book fan, the story is put together in such a way that it isn’t difficult to suspend your disbelief.

Some of this comes down to the acting. The casting job was excellent, despite gripes about Pascal’s mustache. But his cold, logical Richards, along with the rest of the FF, were played to the right level of levity and gravitas. In a world where humans can be engulfed with flames and giant aliens wear purple armor to better help them consume planets, it is difficult to fully know how to play a role. But this group worked hard to make the characters relatable despite their unique situations, which of course was a hallmark of Stan Lee’s approach to comics.¹

Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s the Thing cooking with H.E.R.B.I.E.

Yet the thing that actually pulled it all together was the MacGuffin. Not an object which could destroy the universe nor an ancient family secret that will upend everything. No, this movie’s MacGuffin is a child. A future superhero, true, but a child all the same. Garner’s Surfer works because she knows what it means to be a mother, connecting her to Susan Richards in important ways. And Galactus as a threat is even more palpable because he is willing to consume a child for his own ends, threatening to destroy the Earth if his demands are not met. Much like Guardians of the Galaxy 2, this movie ends up being a powerful pro-life film (likely by accident) that reminds viewers that the smallest of human lives is worth giving everything we have to protect.

And yet, despite this heavy theme, the movie makes sure to have fun along the way. The Fantastic Four are Marvel’s first family, a sort of superhero royalty, who have not been treated too well in recent comic book iterations. But here, we get a glimpse of why Marvel comics gained so much in popularity with that first issue in 1961. If Marvel can continue this trend, sticking faithfully to the spirit of the comics while taking themselves just the right amount of seriously, then the future of the MCU might return to those levels of fun that made it worthwhile.

1. Many try to do this in comics, but often it does not work (such as Tom King’s many “psychological” runs on various titles. Compare Vision under King to Stan Lee’s Just Imagine series and you’ll easily see the difference.